


Camels for Christmas

by KatieComma



Series: MacGyverAppreciationFortnight [5]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Team as Family, macgyverappreciationfortnight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 16:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16099016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/pseuds/KatieComma
Summary: Mac is making paperclip ornaments to fill up the Christmas tree.Set just before season 2 Christmas episode.





	Camels for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> MacGyverAppreciationFortnight - Day 11 - Paperclip
> 
> Thank you N1ghtshade for your help with some brainstorming and headcannoning on this one!!! Camels forever!

“Come on,” Jack pleaded. “How come I don’t get one?”

“Jack,” Mac sighed as he twisted the paperclip in his fingers, “we go over this every single year. You’ve got, at least six already. And I am not making you another one this year.”

“Spoil sport,” Jack sneered as he looked back into the fire pit. “And it ain’t even six.”

Mac didn’t even pause in what he was doing, just listed the previous years’ paperclip Christmas ornaments he’d made for Jack: “Horse, grenade, pyramid, 8 mm Mauser bullet, jet, and last but not least the great state of Texas,” he listed.

Jack counted them off on his fingers as Mac called them out. “You better not have hung Texas upside down again this year,” Jack complained.

“I told you, that was Bozer,” Mac said, finishing up the shape he’d been twisting and setting it aside to start the next one.

Jack picked up the little ship and turned it over in his fingers, a knowing look on his face. Every year Mac made a few new ornaments for the tree. Sometimes for new friends in his life, sometimes for big events in the last year. Zoe’s sacrifice for those kids in the arctic had hit him hard, and it seemed the most relevant thing to turn into a permanent reminder. He knew Jack wouldn’t ask him about it. Jack knew him better than that.

Mac stopped plying at his second paperclip and pointed at Jack, breaking the heavy silence, “the giraffe I made you last year,” he said, “that’s seven. You’re definitely not getting a new one this year.”

“Come on man,” Jack said, setting the ship down gently between them, “I’ve got a great idea for one this year!”

“Oh yeah,” Mac laughed, “and what’s that?”

“A grizzly bear fighting a shark,” Jack said dramatically.

Mac stopped, raised his eyebrows and looked at Jack. “You do know I’m making these things out of paperclips, right?”

“That is a badass idea,” Jack defended.

“And a grizzly bear would never have to fight a shark anyway… you know what, never mind,” Mac resumed work on his little Australia. He’d pulled up a map to study to coastline earlier in the day.

Jack tilted his head back and forth as he tried to figure out what Mac was making. “What in the hell…”

“It’s Australia,” Mac said, “for Cage.” He kept talking to try and cover the warmth in his voice when he said her name. “You know, I thought, since she can’t get home for the holidays, we can bring home to her. Even if it’s just a little bit of home.” Mac ignored the stare Jack was throwing his way by concentrating really hard on getting the southeastern coastline just right. That was the area Cage was from, and he wanted to make sure that part was just right. And he wanted Jack to stop staring at him. “What?” He finally asked, looking up at his partner.

Jack grinned and narrowed his eyes for a second before he looked away and took a sip of his beer. “Nothin’,” he said. “Nice thing to do that’s all.”

Mac changed the subject to try to get Jack off his back. “I was gonna make one for Matty too, since she wasn’t around last Christmas,” Mac said, “but I started thinking about it and I have no idea what to make her.”

“You know, I bet she would just love-”

“If you say a grizzly bear fighting a shark I will never make that one for you,” Mac said seriously, finishing up Australia and dropping it next to the ship.

Jack sighed heavily but didn’t say anything.

Mac took a sip of his beer, settled into his chair, and prepared himself for a story. He knew that sigh well enough to know that it usually preceded a story.

“I may have an idea for you,” Jack said.

“Something simple,” Mac prompted, “that I can make out of a paperclip, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jack said, rolling his eyes. “Back in the day, me and Matty ended up on an op in India. Had to haul butt through the desert in a hurry and we didn’t have time to nab us a truck. So we ended up buying some camels from a guy in town and spent two days in that damn desert on those stupid things.”

“Camels?” Mac said. “Wait, but you hate camels.”

“Damn right I do,” Jack said. “Ornery, smelly, nasty animals.” Jack made a face to bare his canines. “And they’re biters to boot! All teeth, those things. Now you know why I hate ‘em so damn much.”

Mac laughed and took another sip of beer. “You’re saying I should make her a camel? Why? I don’t want to remind her of some old op that made her miserable.”

“Miserable for _me_ ,” Jack said, “Matty had a great time. Must’a got the one nice creature in all of India. She’s never let me live down that trip. Spent most of those two days laughin’ her head off at me.”

Mac smiled and picked up another paperclip. “You’re right, that’s perfect”


End file.
